Thermally reversible gel compositions including a thermally responsive viscosity modifier are useful for applications in environments where the temperature is generally higher than the ambient or pre-treatment temperature of the composition. Such compositions can be of low viscosity at ambient temperature, but substantially increase in viscosity or thicken to a thickened, semi-solid, or gel-like composition in the higher temperature environment (e.g., an oral environment). Known thermally reversible compositions include, for example, a poly(oxyalkylene) as a thermally responsive viscosity modifier.
What is needed are non-poly(oxyalkylene)-based polymers that may preferably be useful as thermally responsive viscosity modifiers in thermally responsive compositions.